Sale 1107 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 28-29 July, 2015
Category — 1861-66 Issue (Scott 56-78)
1c-90c 1861-66 Issue, Plate Proofs on Card (63P3/77P3, 63P4/72P4). India set missing only the 2c and 15c values, card set with all denominations, missing only the scarcer 24c Red Lilac, nice margins essentially throughout with only the 30c on India close, fresh colors, 15c on card slight toning, overall Very Fine
National Bank Note Co., (3c) Scarlet, Black Vignette Die Essays on White Glazed (65-E11b). Two, 61 x 75mm and 49 x 62mm, bright colors, imprint at bottom, Scarlet with small thin spot at right edge which could be trimmed, Very Fine and scarce essays, ex "Lake Shore"
3c Brown Rose, First Design (56). Original gum, h.r., strong impression, Fine, with 2014 P.F. certificate (Fine 70)
1c Blue, Laid Paper (63c). Clear vertical laid lines, deep rich color, very lightly cancelled by target, accompanying certificate carefully annotates a couple of small tears and corner creases, which we would characterize as trivial flaws, Very Fine appearance and rare, Don Evans notes in his 1c book (p. 37) that this is known to have been printed on both horizontally and vertically laid paper, with 2003 P.F. certificate.
3c Rose Pink (64b). Block of four, bottom stamps Mint N.H., brilliant color and detailed impressionFINE-VERY FINE. A REMARKABLY FRESH BLOCK OF THE 3-CENT ROSE PINK WITH THE BOTTOM STAMPS IN PRISTINE MINT NEVER-HINGED CONDITION.
Ex Southgate. Scott Retail as a hinged block of four
3c Rose (65). Bottom imprint and plate no. 37 block of ten, original gum, barely hinged, bright shade, exceptionally choice centering, a few natural gum skips, tiny crease in bottom selvageVERY FINE. OUTSTANDING QUALITY FOR THIS SCARCE CLASSIC UNITED STATES PLATE BLOCK.
With 1972 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as plate block of eight and two singles
3c Rose (65). Mint N.H. bottom imprint and plate no. 13 block of eight, rich color and detailed impression, choice centering throughoutEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCK OF THE 3-CENT ROSE 1861 ISSUE.
With 1994 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as hinged
5c Buff (67). Original gum, warm shade, redistributed original gum, faults incl. three added perf tips, reperfed and tiny sealed tear, otherwise Very Fine, the 5c Brown Yellow and Buff shades are among the rarest of 1861-66 Issue stamps in any kind of unused condition with original gum, with 1967 P.F. certificate not mentioning any faults, with 2015 P.S.E. certificate
24c Dark Red Lilac (70 var). Intense shade and impression, beautifully centered, Boston "Paid" in oval cancel, Extremely Fine, the distinctive "Boston Purple" and "Rich Red Lilac" shades are described in an article by William K. Herzog (Chronicle 124), this stamp is very close to the "Boston Purple" examples used in Sep. and early Oct. 1862 with just a bit less purple, the most recent P.F. certificate calls it "Dark Red Lilac", ex Caspary, Moody (where described as "Red Violet"), Klein and Zoellner (where described as "Boston Purple"), whatever the correct color name this is a beautiful stamp, with 1988 and 2014 P.F. certificates, Scott Retail as normal Red Lilac
24c Brown Lilac (70a). Original gum, gorgeous color, full margins and choice centeringVERY FINE AND CHOICE ORIGINAL-GUM EXAMPLE OF THE 1861 24-CENT BROWNISH LILAC.
The color is a soft brownish shade, which is quite distinctive and much different than the Red Lilac (1862) or later Lilac (1863-66) printings. It is particularly difficult to obtain in sound, centered and original-gum condition.
Ex Golin. With 1990 P.F. and 2013 P.S.E. certificates
24c Steel Blue (70b). Rich color, well-struck large Boston "Paid" grid cancel, Very Fine, with 1963 and 2001 (as 70d) P.F. certificates, with 2014 P.F. certificate as 70b
24c Violet, Thin Paper (70c). Gorgeous deep purplish color, light strike of red grid cancel, well-centered, fresh and Very Fine, a lovely stamp, with copy of 1975 P.F. certificate stating 70d, with 2011 A.P.S. certificate stating 70c, which we feel is the correct shade identification (70d has Scott Retail of $3,000.00)
30c Orange (71). Block of four, original gum, top pair hinged and bottom pair very lightly hinged, near perfect centering, brilliant fresh color on bright white paperEXTREMELY FINE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE 30-CENT 1861 ISSUE. A BLOCK OF FOUR IS THE LARGEST RECORDED UNUSED MULTIPLE, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO FINEST BLOCKS.
As this block demonstrates, the 30c 1861 plate left very little space between the stamp subjects. Consequently, perforations usually cut into part of the design. This fact is acknowledged in both the Scott Catalogue and Stamp Market Quarterly, and the 30c 1861-68 Issue is one of the few for which which centering standards are adjusted accordingly.
This block is one of approximately eight different blocks we have located in past auctions. It was originally joined with the equally superb block of four in our sale of Alan B. Whitman collection (Siegel Sale 968). This block was originally positioned to the right of the ex-Whitman block. It is possible that these and a few other 30c 1861 blocks were part of a larger multiple, but this and the Whitman blocks have superior centering to any others.
Ex Lilly, Klein and Zoellner. With 1968 and 1998 P.F. certificates.
90c Blue (72). Unused (no gum), rich color, Very Fine, with 2002 P.S.E. certificate
90c Blue (72). Bright color and crisp paper nicely complemented by red New York grid cancel, well-balanced marginsEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL USED EXAMPLE OF THE 90-CENT 1861 ISSUE. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH THE RED CANCEL.
Ex Saadi. With 1991 P.F. certificate
2c Black (73). Block of ten, original gum, lightly hinged, choice centering, crisp impression and bright shade, right stamps small thin spots, left stamps light natural gum bend and faint toned spot not mentioned on accompanying certificateEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE CENTERED ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF THE 2-CENT BLACK JACK ISSUE.
With 1987 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as two blocks of four and pair
2c Black (73). Block of ten, original gum, few h.r., intense shade and impression, some toning spots on back, top left stamp short perfFINE-VERY FINE. A SCARCE ORIGINAL-GUM BLOCK OF TEN OF THE 2-CENT BLACK JACK ISSUE.
Scott Retail as two blocks of four and pair
2c Black (73). Block of four, original gum, h.r., crisp impression, few natural gum bends not mentioned on accompanying certificate, Fine-Very Fine, with 2003 P.F. certificate
5c Red Brown (75). Perfect centering, gorgeous rich fiery color nicely complemented by red grid cancelEXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL USED EXAMPLE OF THE 1862 5-CENT RED BROWN, WITH A WONDERFUL RED CANCEL.
Ex Saadi. With 1989 P.F. and 2014 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85; SMQ $775.00). In our opinion this is very undergraded
24c Dark Grayish Lilac (78a). Intense color very reminiscent of the rare Blackish Violet shade (78c, Scott Retail $20,000.00), in fact the 2002 P.F. certificate which accompanies identifies it as 78c and it has been listed in our census of that stamp as 78c-CAN-05, neat strike of target cancel, three well-proportioned margins, extra wide margin at top, Very Fine, ex Hoffner, with 2002 P.F. certificate as 78c, with 2014 P.F. certificate as 78a, Dark Grayish Lilac